1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and more particularly to a system for cycling vehicle lamps on and off during flasher operation to minimize current draw or to extend component service life.
2. Description of the Problem
The hazard flashing function of vehicle tail and parking lamps (four-way flashers) is done to mark a highway hazard to other drivers when a vehicle, or its operator, is disabled. Often these vehicles may sit for hours or days with the four-way flashers on. Over time, with the vehicle engine off, the current draw on the battery from the hazard flashers reduces the battery current to the point that the four-way flashers fail. Under these conditions passing motorists may not see the hazard, especially at night.
Vehicle battery charge conservation under the condition of four-way flasher operation has been addressed in some prior art references by intermittent activation of the flashers. Motion or headlight detection devices have installed on cars to activate the four-way flashers upon approach of a vehicle. To the best knowledge of the present inventors, alternative approaches to extending battery life involving manipulation of the flasher duty cycle and cycle rate to minimize current draw have not been attempted. Currently, operation of vehicle marker lights in a hazard warning or four-way flasher mode draws the same current regardless of the operational state of the vehicle. Hazard light duty cycles and operational rate remain the same with engine running, and capable of generating electricity, as they do with the engine off and hazard light operation being maintained on battery power alone. However, optimizing the hazard flasher operation to minimize current draw may affect the duty life of components such as bulbs, relays and mechanical flashers on vehicles so equipped.